The government has decided to swiftly implement a 10-point National Action Plan (NAP) and constitutional amendments required for the establishment of special courts are likely to be presented in the National Assembly’s session to be convened on January 1, 2015. The Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that National Action Plan (NAP) is a manifestation of national consensuses and government will ensure its swift implementation to counter terrorism.

The Minister for Information was quoted as saying that National Assembly’s session has been convened on January, 1 2015 and the government may move planned constitutional amendments for the establishment of special courts. Sources said that a six-hour-long meeting on NAP chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and attended by military leadership held a detailed discussion on all the aspects of NAP as well as required constitutional amendments to set up military-led courts.

The meeting also reviewed actions being planned to block terror financing and breaking the terror communication network. Progress on action against illegal SIMS also came under review. After the meeting, a statement issued by the Prime Minister office quoted Nawaz Sharif as saying that only those cases will be referred to the special courts which relate to hardcore terrorists responsible for mass murders of innocent civilians, children and jawans of law enforcement agencies.

He said special courts are part of the NAP and an extraordinary solution to an extraordinary problem. All institutions will carefully scrutinise cases before prosecution in the special military tribunals, he said and added nation’s unity has isolated terrorists. Our fight is with the forces of hatred, violence and intolerance, he said, adding that we cannot betray our martyrs by painting a picture of disunity and shall win the fight with unity as a nation. He maintained that the government’s future and ultimate objective is a peaceful and secure Pakistan and country’s armed forces have paved the way for it through the operation Zarb-e-Azb.

AFP adds: The government on Tuesday reviewed its strategy to block terror financing and disrupt militant communication networks as part of the implementation of a national counter-terrorism action plan, officials said.

“We have isolated terrorists with our unity and will make sure that we remain united against those who killed the innocent children,” Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his office after he chaired the high-level meeting.

He was referring to the country’s worst ever terror attack, a massacre carried out by Taliban militants on an army school in Peshawar earlier this month which left 150 people dead, mostly children.

Pakistan has ramped up its anti-terror strategy in the wake of the December 16 slaughter. “Our fight is with the forces of hatred, violence and intolerance… We cannot betray our martyrs by giving a picture of disunity and shall win this fight as a nation,” Sharif said.

The prime minister has announced the establishment of military courts for terror-related cases in order to accelerate trials, and he has also lifted a six-year moratorium on the death penalty, reinstating it for terrorism-related cases. Officials said early last week that Pakistan plans to execute around 500 militants in the coming weeks.

Sharif told the meeting – attended by intelligence officials, the ministers of defence and finance and the army chief, among other high-level officials – only those cases which relate to terrorists responsible for mass murder of innocent civilians, children and soldiers of law enforcement agencies will be referred to the special courts. “Special courts are part of the national action plan and an extraordinary solution to an extraordinary problem,” Sharif said.